Shloka 30
सैन्यसंनिवेशः (Sainyasaṃniveśaḥ) — Deployment, Omens, and Yuddha-Dharma Conventions
यथायोगं यथाकामं यथोत्साहं यथाबलम् । समाभाष्य प्रहर्तव्यं न विश्वस्ते न विह्लले,जिसमें जैसी योग्यता, इच्छा, उत्साह तथा बल हो उसके अनुसार ही विपक्षीको बताकर उसे सावधान करके ही उसके ऊपर प्रहार किया जाय। जो विश्वास करके असावधान हो रहा हो अथवा जो युद्धसे घबराया हुआ हो, उसपर प्रहार करना उचित नहीं है
yathāyogaṁ yathākāmaṁ yathotsāhaṁ yathābalam | samābhāṣya prahartavyaṁ na viśvaste na vihlale ||
‘One should strike an opponent only in a manner proportionate to one’s own preparedness—according to one’s discipline, intention, ardor, and strength—and only after addressing him and making him alert. It is not proper to attack one who has become trusting and therefore careless, nor one who is bewildered or shaken by fear in battle.’
वैशग्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches dharma-yuddha: combat must be fair and proportionate, and one should not exploit an opponent’s helplessness—especially if he is unsuspecting or mentally shaken.
In the opening of Bhīṣma Parva, the narrator (Vaiśaṁpāyana) conveys a norm of battlefield conduct: before striking, a warrior should address the opponent and ensure he is alert, avoiding attacks on the trusting or the terrified.